Whirlpool bath



INVENTORS l AT1-ORNE Filed June 12, 1945 F. J. FARRELLY ET AL WHIRLPOOLBATH June 5, 1951 Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE2,555,686 WHIRLPGL BATH Francis J. Farrelly, New York, andl PeterCatanzaro, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Mary Farrelly, executrix of said Francis J.Farrelly, deceased, assigner to said Cantanzaro and Peter Guba,Ridgefield,

Application June 12, 1946, Serial No. 676,320

(Cl. 26h-36) 6 Claims. l

This invention relates to apparatus commonly referred toas baths, of thetype and kind where water is agitated in a tank or vessel, and stillfurther, where air is introduced into the water. Baths of this type andkind have been utilized by the medical profession in the treatment ofinjuries to the body, or in treatment of other body ailments. Moreparticularly, the invention deals in the provision of an apparatus forcontrolling the discharge of water from the bath and utilizing thismeans also in introducing air into the bath and in agitating the waterin the vessel. Still more particularly, the invention deals in a unitwhich is readily attachable and detachable with respect to the tank andadjustable to control positioning of the unit in the tank. The novelfeatures of the invention will be best under-- stood from the followingdescription when taken together with the accompanying drawing in whichcertain embodiments of the invention are disclosed, and in which, theseparate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in eachof the views, and in which: y

Fig. l is a sectional View through a portion of a tank showing one of myimproved units in a partially raised position in the tank, and with partof the support of said unit shown in section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of part of theunit, as seen in Fig.l, with parts broken away; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the lower end portion of the structureshown in Fig. 2, showing parts in a different position.

In Fig. l of the drawing, shown at Ill, is part of a tank or vessel of awhirlpool bath; I I showing a part of the bottom wall and I2 part of oneside wall. On the side wall I2 is an outwardly extending bracket portionI3 in which is secured. an elongated sleeve t4, which forms a guide andsupport for a rod I5 of one of the improved units I E. The rod I5operates upon a spring Il in the sleeve I4 to normally support the unitin raised position in the tank I0. The rod I4 has two or more notchesIll therein adapted to be engaged by a key pin I9 supported in thebracket I3 to retain the unit IS in a partially or fully loweredposition in the tank, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 respectively, the unitbeing held in this position against the action of the spring Il.

On the upper end of the rod E5 is a motor supporting bracket arm onwhich is suitably supported an electric motor 2l. The lower portion ofthe motor has a reduced extension 22 which is adapted to t in and besecured in an enlarged upper portion 23 of `a sleeve 24, set screws 25being employed to secure the motor in position. Fixedly secured in thesleeve 24 is a downwardly extending tubular frame 26, to the lower endof which is secured a ian casing or housing 2l. Secured to the tubularframe is a pair of bracket arms 2328 having apertured ends, as at 29-29in which is freely mounted a tubular valve shaft30. Arranged between thebrackets 2323 and on the threaded portion 3| of the shaft 30 is a feednut` or disc 32, so that in the rotation of said disc, the shaft 30 maybe raised and lowered. Upward movement of the shaft 3@ is controlled bya stop collar 33 engaging the lower arm 28' and lower movement of theshaft is controlled by the end 34 of the valve head 35 striking thebottom of the recess 35 in the fan casing 2l, as seen in `Eig. 3 of thedrawing. l

The valve head 35 is fixedly secured to the lower end of the shaft 30and this head has a bore 3'! with which the passage 33 of the shaft 30communicates, and the wall of the valve head has on opposite sidesthereof, and at different vertical levels, discharge ports 39 and 4G.rIhe port 39 is adapted to be brought into registering position with anair discharge passage 4I in the casing 21 and with a tube extension 42secured in said casing, the tube extension preferably has a largerdiameter bore 43 than the passage 4I.

The main portion of the casing 2l is dishshaped in form, and this casinghas a side tubular extension 44 discharging outwardly through one sideof the casing, as seen at 45. The valve head 35 is adapted to transversethe extension 44 to block off and seal the discharge e5 when the head 35is in the lowered position, as seen in Fig. 3 of the drawing, in whichposition the port 43 of the valve head registers with the interior 4S ofthe casing.

The lower part of the casing 2 is open and adapted to be closed by acover plate 4l.. rThis plate has a central tubular opening 45 at thelower portion thereof, partially formed by a cir cumferential ange 49and this ange has a series of circumferentially spaced openings 5l!through which water in the tank I0 can be discharged.

The casing 21 has an upwardly extending tubular portion 5I to which thetubular frame 25 is secured and Within the extension 5i is' a bushing orbearing 52, for a coupling shaft 53, the 'lower end of the shaftextending into chamber 43 of the casing 2l, and secured thereto is a fanor propeller 54. The shaft 53 has a coupling sleeve 55 secured to theupper end thereof, the sleeve 55 projecting above the upper end of theshaft 53-'to receive the downwardly extending 3 motor shaft 56 to whichthe sleeve 55 is also securedor keyed.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that in the operation of themotor 2|, the shaft 53 together with the fan or propeller 54 are rotatedand water can be drawn into the chamber 46 of the casing from the tankand passed out through the discharge 45 in agitating or whirling thewater in the tank, and at the same time, air from a suitable source ofsupply can be passed downwardly through the shaft and out through thetubulardischarge 43 adjacent the discharge of the water at 45. It willbe understood that a flexible air hose or the like is attached to theupper end of the shaft 3, but this hose has been omitted, as it forms nodirect part of the present invention.

The above operation takes place with the valve head in the positionshown in Fig. 2. In lowering the valve head to the position shown inFig. 3, the unit may be utilized to discharge the water from the tank,in which event, the water will pass from the chamber into the valve headand up through the shaft 30 and out through a hose connected with theupper end of said shaft.A In suchY event, connection with the air supplyhas been detached and the water discharge hose substituted. This hosemay be also utilized forthe purpose of filling the tank by introducingwater downwardly through the tube 30 and into thetank through the casing2 and the opening 48, particularly when the unit is in a raisedposition, for example, as shown in Fig. l of the drawing. In this lastoperation, the motor is, of course, not operated.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: y

l. In baths of the kind defined, an attachment comprising a casing, apropeller in the casing, an electric motor, a shaftfor coupling themotor shaft with said propeller, saidv casing having an openingcentrally with respect to the propeller in the casing, the periphery ofsaid casing having a side extension, a discharge passage in saidextension, an adjustable valve controlling the dis charge passage ofsaid casing, manual means for adjusting said valve in control of saiddischarge passage, said valve having a passage therein, a tubular shaftsupporting and operating said valve, said shaft forming an air admissionpassage, and said extension of the casing having an air dischargepassage adjacent and angularly to the first named discharge passage ofsaid casing.

2. In baths of the kind defined, an attachment comprising a casing, apropeller in the casing, an electric motor, a shaft for coupling themotor shaft with said propeller, said casing having an opening centrallywith respect to the propeller in the casing, the periphery of saidcasing having a side extension, a discharge passage in said extension,an adjustable valve controlling the discharge passage of said casing,manual means for adjusting said valve in control of said dischargepassage, said valve having a passage therein, a tubular shaft supportingand operating said valve, said shaft forming an air admission passage,said extension of the casing having an air discharge passage adjacentand angularly to the first named discharge passage of said casing, andsaid valve having a passage adapted to place the discharge passage ofsaid casing in communication with the interior of said valve supporting4 l shaft to discharge iiuid from the bath through said shaft.

3. In devices of the character described, a propeller casing havinginlet and outlet passages, a tubular frame extending from said casing, acoupling sleeve secured to the free end of the frame and having an outerenlarged portion forming a seat for an electric motor, means detachablycoupling the motor with respect to the enlarged portion of said sleeve,the motor having a shaft extending into said frame, said propellerhaving a shaft arranged axially of the frame, means within the frame forcoupling the motor shaft with the propeller shaft, a pair of bracketarms secured to the frame adjacent said sleeve, means adjustablysupporting a tubular valve shaft in said arms, a valve casing adjacentthe discharge of the first named casing, and a valve on said valve shaftand operating in said casing in control of the discharge from saidpropeller casing.

4. In attachments for apparatus of the class described, a casing havingintake and dischargev passages, means within the casing drawing fluidinto the casing through said intake passage and discharging the samefrom said discharge passage, a ported tubular plunger valve adjustablyslidable in said casing to move into and out of said discharge passage,said valve in one position controlling discharge of fluid through saiddischarge passage into the apparatus and in another passage through saidtubular valve, a tubular shaft extending from and supporting andoperating said plunger valve, said casing having an outwardly anddownwardly directed tubular extension with a discharge at a pointadjacent and angularly to thevfluid discharged from the passage of saidcasing, and said valve having a port placing the tubular shaft incommunication with said tubular extension through the valve in the firstnamed position of said valve, whereby air introduced into thetubulaishaft may be discharged through said tubular extensionangularly'to the fluid discharged from said casing.

5. In attachments for apparatus of the class described, a casinghavingintake and discharge passages, means within the casing drawing uid intothe casing through said intake passage and discharging the same fromsaid discharge Passage, a ported tubular plunger valve adjustablyslidable in said casing to move into and out of said discharge passage,said valve in one position controlling discharge of fluid through saiddischarge passage into the apparatus and in an-` other passage throughsaid tubular valve, a tubular shaft extending from and supporting andoperating said plunger valve, said casing having an outwardly anddownwardly directed tubularl extension with a discharge at a pointadjacent and angularly to the fluid discharged from the passage of saidcasing, said valve having a port placing the tubular shaft yincommunication with said tubular extension through theV valve inthe 6. Inattachments for apparatus of the'class' v described, a casing havingintake and dischargek passages, means within the casing drawing fluidinto the casing through said intake passage and discharging the samefrom said discharge passage, a ported tubular plunger valve adjustablyslidable in said casing to move into and out of said discharge passage,said Valve in one position controlling discharge of fluid through saiddischarge passage into the apparatus and. in another passage throughsaid tubular valve, a tubular shaft extending from and supporting andoperating said plunger valve, said casing havingl an outwardly anddownwardly directed tubular extension with a discharge at a pointadjacent and angularly to the fluid discharged from the passage of saidcasing, said valve having a port placing the tubular shaft incommunication with said tubular extension through the valve in the rstnamed position of said valve, whereby air introduced into the tubularshaft may be discharged through said tubular extension angularly to thefluid discharged from said casing, said valve port being closed in thesecond named posi- REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 885,011 Bergens Apr. 2l, 1908905,818 Langford Dec. 1, 1908 1,453,513 Metz May 1, 1923 2,280,979Roelie Apr. 28, 1942

